Infographics & Reports

Saudi Arabia is emerging as MEA’s mid-cost, high-control choice for GBS

With about 75 delivery centres nationwide and ~47 in Riyadh, Saudi offers scale with control. Grade A occupancy near 98 per cent and prime space around $535/m²/year signal a tight but navigable market, while PDPL, Saudisation and the RHQ Program favour in-country capability. Add the Saudi riyal’s peg to the US dollar and fast-maturing cloud capacity, and you have a practical base for regulated, data-sensitive work.

In this SSOW MEA article, you’ll learn:

✅ Why a Saudi base matters: how a captive-first model under PDPL and Saudisation keeps sensitive processes in-country and close to decision-makers, with the RHQ Program pulling more scope to Riyadh.

✅ What the benchmarks signal: Grade A ~98% and ~$535/m²/year prime confirm Saudi’s mid-cost profile; generative AI investment up ~30% year on year, yet about 9% feel fully ready on governance - what that means for your roadmap.

✅ Where talent gains are found: expanding local supply, rising female participation, and a practical path to bilingual and digital upskilling that supports finance, HR, procurement and analytics.

✅ How to sequence value: a 12 to 18-month plan for set-up and scale - site selection in Riyadh, early finance/HR/procurement wins, and safe AI use cases that show measurable impact.

✅ How to navigate constraints: real estate scarcity and fit-out timing, vendor oversight under PDPL, and simple controls that keep execution predictable.

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Uncover the Data. Reframe the Opportunity. Shape the Future.

As shared services and GBS models continue to evolve, the Middle East is emerging as a powerful hub for strategic, digitally enabled service delivery. But how well is that potential understood - and where do the facts diverge from perception?

SSON Research & Analytics presents the Visual Analytics Workbook (VAW) - a data-driven, visual exploration of shared services maturity across global regions, with a focused lens on the Middle East. Built for decision-makers, this workbook combines interactive visuals with market intelligence to help you:

• Benchmark your shared services model against global trends
• Explore region-by-region strengths in talent, agility, and innovation
• Understand why cities like Cairo, Dubai, and Riyadh are rising as GBS hubs
• Identify where your operations can leapfrog on the maturity curve
• See what’s driving investment in AI, digital talent, and hybrid sourcing models

If you’re planning, expanding, or reevaluating your shared services strategy in 2025, this workbook offers the visibility and foresight you need.

The UAE is becoming MEA’s strategic command centre

With 78 delivery centres and deep benches in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the UAE is where regional leadership, analytics and AI innovation now live. Neighbouring hubs such as Cairo and Amman provide scalable “muscle,” allowing operators to balance value and cost across MEA.

In this SSOW MEA article, you’ll learn:

✅ Why a UAE-anchored hub matters: how Dubai and Abu Dhabi underpin governance, stakeholder proximity and faster decision-making, with 58 centres in Dubai alone.

✅ What the benchmarks signal: generative AI investment up nearly 30% year-on-year, 89% prioritising analytics, and a strong tilt toward captives for quality and control.

✅ Where talent wins: the Middle East’s strengths in workforce availability and cultural affinity, and how the UAE’s multilingual pool supports finance, compliance, CX and analytics.

✅ How to manage friction points: practical ways to handle cost, Emiratisation and skills bottlenecks while protecting service quality.

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Cairo is fast becoming the region’s control room. With 68 delivery centres, a multilingual talent base and government-backed skills programmes, Egypt offers the scale and speed global teams need to modernise service delivery across MEA.

In this SSOW MEA article, you’ll learn:

✅ Why Egypt’s “greenfield” edge matters - and how a Cairo-centred footprint enables control, faster scale and cleaner governance.

✅ How teams move beyond transactional automation - RPA, GenAI and agent-assist to lift accuracy, speed and CX.

✅ Which metrics and guardrails to use - shifting from headcount to value, with only 17% truly predictive today.

✅ Where momentum is building - >80% widening scope and 57% adding or shifting work to new regions.

✅ What benchmarks signal - 89% prioritise analytics; GenAI investment up nearly 30% YoY.

Whether you’re standing up a new hub or expanding GBS, this piece distils the insights and next steps - plus a five-point Egypt readiness checklist you can apply immediately.

Request a copy of this article to be sent to your inbox here. 

Discover how Shared Services and GBS leaders across the Middle East are bypassing legacy transformation timelines - leveraging AI, agentic automation, and digital-native design to become value creators, not just cost centers.

As global enterprises rethink the role of Shared Services, the Middle East is emerging as a strategic epicenter. With smart infrastructure, multilingual digital talent, and government-backed innovation ecosystems, cities like Cairo, Riyadh, and Dubai are positioning themselves at the forefront of next-gen service delivery.

In this exclusive article from SSON, you'll learn:

✅ Why the region’s greenfield advantage and investment momentum allow Shared Services Centers (SSCs) to leapfrog traditional maturity stages

✅ How leading organizations are deploying RPA, GenAI, and Agentic AI to automate beyond the transactional

✅ What metrics, governance models, and risk frameworks top-performing GBS teams are using to ensure safe, scalable innovation

✅ Where real-world success stories from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt are showing measurable impact - from predictive analytics to first-contact resolution rates

✅ What global benchmarks tell us about the shifting role of shared services - and how the Middle East is rising to meet that opportunity

Whether you’re building a new delivery hub, expanding GBS capabilities, or rethinking your automation roadmap, this article delivers the insights, data, and regional context you need to move forward.

Learn more about the Latin American shared services landscape with this info-graphic highlighting the state of the industry such as the countries implementing operations, how they are being leveraged, their GBS objectives, and more! To receive a copy in your inbox, please email geena.monaco@iqpc.com

Not sure how to define your work culture? Need tips to improve your office environment?

In this report you'll learn:

• Characteristics of a toxic work culture 
• Strategies to improve your company's environment 
• Tips in improving employee/management relationships

Shared Services & Outsourcing Week Chairmen Brad DeMent highlights the key takeaways from SSOW 2019! Review his presentation for an overview of the prime content from SSOW 2019 like statistics, quotes, and the most important things to keep in mind as you progress your shared services operations. For a copy sent to your inbox, please contact geena.monaco@iqpc.com

Brush up on your knowledge with SSON's comprehensive guide to the most vital acronyms in shared services and Global Business Services (GBS). Whether you are a seasoned professional or a newcomer to the industry, this infographic is your passport to understanding the language of efficiency, collaboration, and innovation.

This article divies into the evolution of Shared Services, moving from traditional cost-efficiency to value creation through cutting-edge technology. Access a copy to explore the impact of generative AI and digital tools, offering insights that could shape your organization's future.

Explore how to create a shared services model that drives both efficiency and innovation in SSON's new article, featuring insights from Sumit Mitra, CEO of TESCO Business Solutions. Covering key areas like cost optimization, talent management, and business partnerships, this article provides practical strategies to help your GBS thrive.

Discover how the next generation of GBS leaders is transforming the landscape of shared services. In this article, Deborah Kops explores the unique traits and approaches of these innovative leaders, shedding light on how their fresh perspectives can shape the future of GBS and drive meaningful change within organizations.

This article delves into the unique career challenges facing GBS leaders, especially when it comes to moving into broader roles within their organizations. With candid insights, Deborah Kops explores the barriers to career mobility for GBS professionals and provides actionable strategies to help leaders navigate these roadblocks and unlock new career pathways. Access a copy!

Are you sitting on a wealth of business insights? Shared services and GBS organizations of all sizes and structures are ideally situated to collect a treasure trove of organizational data. From insights related to the end-to-end employee lifecycle to business process management to IT usage, the opportunities for SSOs to capitalize on the information they organically collect are endless. In this interactive presentation, we outline the 5 levels of shared services analytics maturity and shed light on the path towards advanced analytics. 

Check out:

• What the difference is between foundational, descriptive, predictive, prescriptive and cognitive analytics maturity levels?
• What advanced analytics concepts - such as decision automation, analytics COEs, simulation & scenario planning, and machine learning - are disrupting shared services?
• What sessions at Shared Services and Outsourcing Week 2019 will help your shared services and GBS analytics to get to the next level – based on your maturity level?
• How you stack up against your peers - based on where you fall on the shared services maturity curve?

It is a common fear that AI is going to takeover people's jobs - but will it? Regardless of your job title, AI will most likely be adopted by your business and creep into your work. Be prepared for the possibilities that AI has to offer and read to understand four different ways that it can impact the future of your workplace and society. 

Business process outsourcing has provided a business optimization opportunity for the shared services industry. SSON surveyed hundreds of shared services industry professionals reporting their challenges, opportunities, and other thoughts on BPO to present the horizon for shared services optimization.

This report contains:

• Key priorities of BPO providers
• Risks facing the industry
• The advantages of rapidly evolving technology
• And more!

Access this report for more details into what customers want and how BPO can help provide it. To receive a copy, please email geena.monaco@iqpc.com